James Young joined the NAO in September 2009 – below is an account of how he has found life on the ATT fast track scheme
Why did you apply for the scheme?
The main reason I applied to join the ATT scheme at the NAO was the opportunities that the scheme offered. To become ACA qualified through the ATT scheme it can take only 4 years, compared to the 6 years through the university route and at the same time I’m also earning a very competitive salary.
How have you found College?
The material I learn in college helps me to gain a background understanding of what I am doing at work, and vice versa. I originally thought I would find it hard to hold down a full time job while also studying for the ATT, but this hasn’t been the case and I found that I was able to strike a good balance between my work and social life.
What work have you been involved in?
Since I started at the NAO, I have spent the majority of my time working on the Treasury area, undertaking interim and final financial audit. During my time on the Treasury area, I spent most of my time on site at the Treasury building in Westminster. I have also travelled to around 6 different locations outside of London within the past year on local audits, such as Nottingham, Glasgow and Newcastle.
What is your overall opinion of the NAO?
It has a professional working environment with a good sense of team spirit. The NAO’s sporting and social society organises a wide range of activities for staff. These events are a good way of meeting new people who you wouldn’t normally meet in the office. I’ve always found NAO staff to be friendly and supportive of the trainees.
